Life in Slavery
by CyanGalaxy
Summary: Anakin may have thought he left his past behind that day he left Tatooine, but the harsh reality of the galaxy never gives him the freedom from being a slave.


**Slave Boy**

When he was a young child, slavery was all he knew. It was a harsh, rugged way of living, but he didn't know anything else. He thought _everyone_ lived this way (unless you were a slaver, of course). His mom would tell him stories of people that managed to get free from Tatooine, and promised her son one day he'd be free, too, but in Anakin Skywalker's mind, the things she would say were just fantasies, fun little bedtime stories to make him feel better whenever their slaver Master would beat him, or hurt him, or push him too hard.

It wasn't until he overheard the deep space pilots talking about their adventures, tales, and daring events, that Anakin actually started to think their was more to life than just Tatooine. One time he heard them talk about something called 'angels from Iego'. They sounded so beautiful, and so angelic that he wanted to see them for himself. No... not only that, but that pretty planet Naboo, the busy one Coruscant, and the cold one Hoth. He wanted to see them _all,_ visit each and every one. Those travellers mentioned some worlds with water, and grass—he could only imagine what that was. "Some day, mom, I'll get away from here." He told her, one night, cleaning up Watto's shop. "Some day, I'll be free."

 **Padawan**

He no longer had the title of 'slave', but now a new foreign name was given to him: Padawan. It meant that he was now a Jedi, training in their arts and learning to be a peacekeeper of the galaxy. Everything was so different now than his home. He could drink water whenever he wanted, eat whenever he was hungry, not get beaten up for doing something as simple as messing around with scrap metal... Though something bothered him... Somethings were still the same. He still had to call everyone 'Master', and apparently it was disrespectful if he didn't. He was told to have manners whenever he called someone 'sir' or 'ma'am', not liking that 'Master' made his skin crawl. Another thing was that he didn't exactly have freedom, or he _did_ , but it wasn't anything like the space pilots talked about. Curious Anakin tried to take a fighter to go explore outside the atmosphere one day, but was immediately stopped by some older Padawan who alerted a Knight. The Knight scowled him, and almost yelled. She called him 'disobedient' and 'troublesome' which made him feel like a slave again whenever he did something wrong, like not clean the racks right, or moved something where it shouldn't have been. Master Obi-Wan tried explaining what was appropriate and what was not in the Temple. He looked a little frustrated, as Anakin struggled to understand. He just didn't get this life was supposed to be different from Tatooine, when it seemed very much the same.

The boy grew and adapted the ways of the Jedi, though not _all_ of them. Master Obi-Wan was always and always nagging him about keeping control over his emotions. He couldn't get angry, sad, frustrated, scared, or anything else like that. Obi-Wan told him to never let his emotions control him. In Anakin's mind, his emotions didn't _control_ him, but made him stronger, more determined...more _himself_. It wasn't like he was acting on emotions all the time... Well, actually thats not true, because we _was;_ but the boy would never go as far as to say the _controlled_ him. He was only _controlled_ by Obi-Wan, the Council, and older Padawans and Knights, but not his emotions, too.

He called himself 'servant' today, as technically that's what the Jedi were: servants of the Republic. He and his Master were sent to protect Senator Riyo Chuchi of Pantora, and to act as her body guards while she was on Coruscant. He carried her bags, opened doors, stood beside her at all times, while always thinking about how this couldn't possibly be the life of a Jedi. He was a _servant_ now, serving at someone else's whim. Not uncontrolled, not independent, not free... He had to admit though, it was easier the second time around with Senator Amidala.

 **Knight**

He was completely inservice to the Republic now, a Jedi General fighting against the Separatist. This was a different kind of ownership, as now he had more authority, authority over others, but no matter that, he still was _owned_ by the Republic. Maybe not officially, but the holonet sure liked to advertise it that way. He'd see himself on the news, maybe after a recently won battle, and the reporters would call him 'Hero With No Fear' or 'Unstoppable Warrior', but that's not what bothered him (not at first anyway). They'd say ' _our_ Hero With No Fear', ' _our_ Jedi warrior', ' _our_ hero of the Republic'. It was the fact the media labeled him as _their's_. He wasn't just Anakin Skywalker anymore, but now the symbol of the Republic... _their_ symbol.

After acquiring his own apprentice, He thought he'd view that as finally having dominance over someone, just as how Kenobi used to have dominance over him. Obi-Wan was his Master, just like Anakin was Ahsoka's, and now he was the one in control... At first he liked that he had more power. It felt different from ordering troops around. And even though Ahsoka didn't always listen, he engulfed in the fact that he had jurisdiction over her... Though the months went on (as did her training and the war), something changed gradually. There interactions seemed more like ways friends would speak or _family_ , not teacher and student... They'd somehow morphed their bond from a Master/Padawan to something stronger. They were equals now (technically Anakin still had more authority, but it seemed like that didn't matter anymore) and if the Council or Obi-Wan saw them behaving so freely, he knew it wouldn't be appreciated... During the later years, Ahsoka even called him 'Anakin', something that's not customary for a Padawan to do. Even out of habit, Anakin still called Obi-Wan 'Master' to this day.

When she left, he felt lost. Together they were a duo, but now they're nothing. He feels so disappointed, _angry_ even. Her deciding to go made him really notice how messed-up the Order was. It's like they didn't even _try_ to believe her, to trust her, to help her. He was the only one who did, and that made him get a sinking feeling in his gut that the Jedi just don't care. That they'd say 'farewell' and 'bye-bye, Ahsoka' because what's it matter to them if one lone Jedi leaves. They have hundreds more that they can send to fight in the war that can replace her, anyway... It was the first time in a long time where Anakin felt replaceable, too. If he died, or left, or went MIA, some other Jedi would just fill-in for him. It was just like slavery, in a way. If your slave was beaten to death, got starved or was unable to work anymore from injuries, the slaver could just as easily buy a new one to own that would replace the old one.

When he's with Palpatine, Anakin doesn't feel so small. Palpatine tells him things - things about power, and worth and more than just the Jedi. He thinks back to went his mother told him tales about freedom, and this was quite similar. Palpatine, a parental figure, telling him about the different things - _darker_ things. There was even one story about a Sith who had so much power, he could stop people from dying, and that little voice in Anakin's mind wanted nothing more than that type of power.

 **Sith**

Anakin gave himself to Lord Sidious. He _chose_ to give himself over to the darkness. He knew this time he had a _choice_ to change fate, and now he was not a servant, or under ownership, or a _slave_. He was choosing a way out, to not be anyone else's meek little pawn anymore. This time he was going to decide what happens and how to create his own destiny... And no one would ever be there to stop him, because he's a free man now.

But he was wrong... He was as far from freedom as one can possibly get, a slave now more than ever, just on opposite sides of the Force. Every day Darth Vader would do his Master's bidding, serve under his command, and follow orders exactly as given. He had no say, no vote, no _nothing._ He just did as a good slave did: obey. And now he was right back were he started from.

 **Anakin**

Looking up, permanently detached from the red-tinted mask, Anakin Skywalker's eyes burned blue, a cooling sensation from the red-yellow ones. His blue eyes searched for the very similar pair above: Luke Skywalker's. His son told him that he wouldn't let Anakin die, that he'd save him. But as Anakin felt the Force grab him away, he said, "You already have." for it was true. Now, finally one with the Force, Anakin was for the first time in his life free.

•••

 **A/N**

 **My view on Anakin's life. It's kinda sad, but I hoped you still liked it.**

 **Feedback is awesome. :)**

 **May the Force be with you**

 **-CyanGalaxy**


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